Monday, April 06, 2015

Blog Kiosk: 4/6/2015 - Dodger Links - RIP, Billy DeLury

Longtime Dodger employee and constant fixture around everything Dodgers, Bill DeLury, passed away over the weekend. He joined the club in 1950, the same year Vin Scully became an broadcaster, and did just about every job imaginable for the club as he rose up the ladder. For 20 years he was the teams traveling secretary, and in recent years was the assistant to the broadcasters and to the traveling secretary. No doubt, he will be sorely missed.

Per a Dodger press release:

“Billy's consistent dedication and outstanding character were both an inspiration in our front office as well as a daily reminder of our roots in Brooklyn,” Dodger president and CEO Stan Kasten said. “His presence will be missed by all who knew him.”

“I was privileged to know Bill DeLury for more than 60 years from the time he was an office boy in Brooklyn and rose to become a most valuable member of the organization as our traveling secretary,” said Vin Scully. “A Dodger from head to toe. A respected baseball man. And a deeply religious husband and father. Anyone and everyone in baseball who knew Bill will mourn his passing and he will be truly missed.”

Mark Langill, the Dodgers official historian, pens a great piece at Dodger Insider in his honor, here. Evan Bladh at Think Blue LA also has an excellent piece worth checking out, here.

Photo at the very top is of Billy DeLury being introduced at Dodgertown in 1995, via Jon SooHoo. Check out more pics from Jon's vault of DeLury here. Below are some links to check out:

Via Anthony Witrado at ESPN, "Dodgers add another arm in Scott Baker." Also, via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Dodgers acquire Minor League pitcher (Rudy) Owens from Oakland." Both of these are minor league deals. They add additional depth to the Dodgers and both will report to AAA.

“As we’re learning more about it, seeing a different set of numbers and
ways to evaluate, it’s interesting to see how certain guys kind of fit
in, where they’ve been really good and where their deficiencies are,”
Mattingly said. “That’s been the most interesting part for me, going
over player plans and things like that and seeing how different guys are
really good at one thing — that you kind of noticed, but you didn’t
really know to paint that picture — it’s been nice doing that.”

Blue Skinny Fan was a Frank & Sons on Saturday to get Eric Gagne's signature. Check out his trip report here.

Missing will be the soothing sound of a ballpark organ, as 28-year
veteran Nancy Bea Hefley's workload has been reduced to one song during
the actual game. One. She waits for seven innings, plays "Take Me Out to
the Ballgame," and goes home.

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“There’s nothing like wearing a Dodger jersey. There’s nothing like it in sports. I don’t care that I’ve never been anywhere else. I don’t care. There’s nothing like wearing a Dodger jersey.” -- A.J. Ellis